Michelle Muntean, Stephen Harper’s image adviser, rides the government plane with the PM to major world and domestic events to ensure he looks just right.
She worked for years in television, eventually becoming head of makeup at the CBC in the 1990s.
Insiders reveal Harper is notoriously sensitive about receiving advice on his image, swiftly putting subordinates in their place when they bring up the matter.
He only takes tips from the expert.
It took the better part of this week for the PM’s office to finally reveal the public is picking up the tab for her services. She’s part of the prime minister’s staff. The Conservative Party apparently pays her expenses.
The PMs office needs to come clean on this one, especially considering the fact Harper, as a Reform MP, went after Manning to disclose a clothing allowance. Osprey Media Niagara Falls Review
Environment Minister John Baird on CTV’s Question Period Sunday, April 22, 2007 with Craig Oliver. CTV Politics Blog
Oliver:: Let me finally ask you something that’s a little bit away, quite a ways away from what you’re discuss, but you’re a friend of the Prime Minister and one of his ministers. What about this image consultant who’s also said to be a psychic? What’s going on there? What do you think of that?
Baird: Well, it’s, it’s absurd. It’s absolutely ludicrous to think that the Prime Minister would have an image consultant or a psychic on staff. That’s simply silly. He wouldn’t waste his own money, let alone the taxpayers’ money on that. What this woman does is she’s part of his tour team, a hard-working tour team. Every Prime Minister has had a tour team. In fact, the Prime Minister’s is actually smaller than his recent predecessors, and I just think it’s silly season here in Ottawa.
Taxpayers pay her services and the Conservative Party pay her expenses and remind me again - who contributes to the Conservative Party? Taxpayers.
How much does a PM image consultant services cost? How much is the Conservative Party member paying for Ms. Muntean’s expenses?
In a media saturated word, leaders need someone skilled in make up and wardrobe, no one would begrudge the leader of Canada requiring these services for public appearances. What we might begrudge is not being informed on just who is paying how much for this service and expenses to the top leader in Canada.
Published 1 year, 4 months ago
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Don’t Know Where on Your Blog to Put this, Since Maude in Guelph May 2
http://www.topix.net/world/canada/2007/04/maude-barlow-will-be-visiting-guelph-ontario-next-week-to-speak-listen-to-the-public
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2007
Counter-meeting in Calgary prepares citizens to oppose bulk water exports
Calgary – The Council of Canadians is holding an “open-door” meeting in Calgary to discuss the looming threats to bulk water posed by North American integration. The meeting will enable key civil society actors and the general public to discuss and share concerns with the process and content of closed-door meetings that the US Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Conference Board of Canada and the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) in Mexico will be hosting in Calgary on April 26 & 27.
“The meetings organized by CSIS are the latest round of private meetings taking place within the context of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), which has not been debated by the legislatures of the three participating governments,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “The big business community and corporate lobby groups have been granted executive level access to the integration process. No equivalent role has been granted to labour groups, civil society or even Parliament in Canada.”
The Council of Canadians obtained a leaked document revealing that bulk water exports would be on the agenda at the private meetings where government representatives and private sector actors from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico will be congregating.
“I am concerned that the Canadian government would agree to participate in a process where the dice is so heavily loaded in favour of U.S interests”, says Ralph Pentland, former Director of the Water Planning and Management Branch of Environment Canada. “We have a Treaty (the Boundary Waters Treaty) and an institution (the International Joint Commission) that enables us to deal with our neighbours to the south as equals. We should use it.”
Quebec-based Eau Secours is concerned North American integration will result in the commodification of water. “We oppose the continentalization of water for market purposes,” says Danielle Julien, Chairperson of Eau Secours’ international committee.
The groups hope their counter-meeting will raise awareness about the impacts of North American integration on natural resources and prepare Canadians to oppose upcoming integration talks.
-30-
Location:
Azul Room - Hotel Arts
119-12th Avenue SW Calgary, T2R 0G8
Tel.: (403) 266-4611
Toll-free: 1-800-661-9378
Time:
Media interviews – 1:30 to 2:00 pm
Public meeting – 2:00 to 4:00 pm
For more information, please contact:
Meera Karunananthan Media Officer: Tel.: (613) 233-4487, ext. 234; Cell: (613) 795-8685; meera@canadians.org.
Resources:
Leaked document: North American Future 2025 Project (PDF format)
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Backgrounder: The North American Future 2025 Project (PDF format)
The Council of Canadians’ analysis
The Council of Canadians’ water campaign
Read more about Deep Integration
–
The Council of Canadians
700-170 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1P 5V5.
Tel: (613) 233-2773; Toll-free: 1-800-387-7177
Fax: (613) 233-6776
inquiries@canadians.org
http://www.canadians.org